Beginner Off-Road Trails Near Topaz, California

Holy Climber

This is a busy trail, with beautiful fall colors and great vistas. There are sections of loose, rocky terrain and sections with softer dirt that may be whooped out. Most are shallow and smooth, so…
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Total Miles
28.6
Tech Rating
3 Easy
Best Time
Su / Fa

Seven Deer Trail

Beginning at the Lake Topaz picnic area the graded dirt road becomes narrower and is single-vehicle wide. Ascending to 5,971 feet this is mostly a packed gravel trail. There are some steep and very rocky…
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Total Miles
3.5
Tech Rating
3 Easy
Best Time
Su / Fa

Wellington Hills Road - 42778

This out and back, double-track, dirt trail mostly accommodates one-way traffic. It begins at Eastside Lane and gradually rises in elevation into the Wellington Hills, located in Toiyabe National Forest. There are vistas of Antelope…
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Total Miles
5.2
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Su / Fa

Desert Creek Loop

Short loop following Desert Creek between Smith Valley, NV and Bridgeport, CA. Several campgrounds are located along the creek, and there's good fishing and hiking nearby. The road is mostly one vehicle wide along the…
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Total Miles
16.1
Tech Rating
3 Moderate
Best Time
Su / Fa

Pistol Point Trail

Pistol Point Trail is one vehicle wide with places to pass on this double track dirt trail. The trail ascends from an elevation of 8,820 feet to a maximum elevation of 9,286 feet. There is…
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Total Miles
1.6
Tech Rating
3 Easy
Best Time
Su / Fa

Hawkins Peak Road

Hawkins Peak Road begins as a gradual accent and is typically one vehicle wide with places to pass on this double track dirt trail. The trail gradually ascends from an elevation of 7,057 feet to…
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Total Miles
3
Tech Rating
3 Easy
Best Time
Su / Fa

Burnside Lake Road - 31019

The 5.5-mile out and back dirt road will take you from HWY 88/89 intersection to Burnside Lake. The dirt road is relatively smooth and wide enough for two vehicles to pass. This is a well-traveled…
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Total Miles
5.2
Tech Rating
1 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa

Sunrise Pass Road

This graded dirt county road begins at the Johnson Lane OHV Park located east of Minden, NV. As the road gradually ascends, it traverses alluvial plains covered in sage and low canyons with juniper trees.…
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Total Miles
23
Tech Rating
1 Easy
Best Time
Su / Fa

1947 Bunker Trail

This trail starts off on a wide graded dirt road. Then turning Northeast you proceed up a narrow double track trail. This portion of the trail ascends up a flat topped ridge which is lined…
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Total Miles
6.2
Tech Rating
3 Easy
Best Time
Su / Fa

Big Buck Meadows Trail

Big Buck Meadows Trail follows the power line service road for about 1.5 miles. This portion of the trail consists of a single vehicle-wide trail with a few easy hairpin switchbacks. Ascending about 800 feet…
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Total Miles
5.9
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Su / Fa

Masonic Mine

Ground clearance isn't much of a concern, but there are a lot of sharp rocks, so passenger car tires will not do. This is a good side trip to other trails in the area. Vehicles…
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Total Miles
8.2
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa

Pine Nut Mountains Vista Trail

Located in the Johnson OHV park, this trail has views of Minden, the Sierra Nevada Mountains, and Pine Nut Mountains. A man-made dirt pile is meant to block the trail at 4.82 miles. At this…
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Total Miles
2.5
Tech Rating
3 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa / Wi

Utopian Mine Trail

This road takes you to the Utopian Mine located in the Pine Nut Mountains in Carson City County, Nevada. The graded dirt road is wide and flat for the first four miles. As you cross…
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Total Miles
5
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Su / Fa

Brunswick Canyon

Brunswick Canyon Road is fairly easy; 85% of the trail is single vehicle wide with tight switchbacks. Mostly packed gravel trail with areas of loose rocks and a couple of water crossings. The Northern end…
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Total Miles
11.2
Tech Rating
3 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa

Bodie High Desert Highway

This route takes you from the high desert of Nevada to the chaparral of the Sierra Front Range. The Nevada side is dominated by wide, generally well-graded dirt roads, while the California side takes you…
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Total Miles
61.3
Tech Rating
2 Moderate
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa

Bodie Ghost Town

This is an alternative, fun, backroad route to Bodie State Historic Park that starts north of Bridgeport. History buffs will enjoy remains of the Chemung Mine and the site of Masonic, as well as great…
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Total Miles
22.4
Tech Rating
3 Easy
Best Time
Su

Eagle Meadows

This is an awesome out and back trail with amazing cliff views, creek crossings, beautiful trees and several great camping spots. Plenty of shorter trails splinter off the main roads, offering endless adventure. This route…
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Total Miles
11.7
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su

Old Como Road

This road begins at Dayton, Nevada, and gradually rises in elevation from 4367' to 7128' into the Pine Nut Mountains and is located on mostly BLM lands. The trail starts off over a flat alluvial…
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Total Miles
18.9
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Su / Fa

Fruit Smuggler

Dirt trail with potential for loose rocks, sandy washes, and water crossings less than a foot deep. Potential for mud holes and trail obstacles up to 12" including ledges and short, steep grades. One vehicle…
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Total Miles
3.4
Tech Rating
3 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su

Elephant Lake

This trail follows the South Fork of the John Day River and crosses a very remote area. It's a great area for camping and hiking. Destinations include Blacks Canyon, Izee Falls, and several historical sites.…
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Total Miles
3.7
Tech Rating
1 Easy
Best Time
Su / Fa

Genoa Peak Road - 41306

You'll get some great views of Lake Tahoe from this trail. It's a wide, single-lane gravel trail that's moderately to heavily used during the summer. There are gates at both ends of the road which…
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Total Miles
10.9
Tech Rating
3 Easy
Best Time
Su / Fa

Logan House Loop 14n33

This trail has beautiful scenery that includes tree-filtered views of Lake Tahoe, Aspen groves, grassy meadows, a couple of small year-round streams, and the classic Sierra Nevada Mountain Forest. It is recommended for 4WD or…
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Total Miles
8.2
Tech Rating
3 Easy
Best Time
Su / Fa

Sapps Hill

An easy trail with a few mud holes after a summer thunderstorm. There are plenty of places for dispersed camping along the route, and if you drive all the way to the end, you will…
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Total Miles
0.9
Tech Rating
3 Easy
Best Time
Su

Pine Tunnel

This trail is lined with pine trees and features a baby rock garden. It is no longer maintained by the Forest Service and ends where it is blocked by multiple fallen trees. Dispersed camping can…
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Total Miles
0.8
Tech Rating
3 Easy
Best Time
Su

Old Tamarack

This trail was once known as "Tamarack OHV 4x4" and has been closed since 2014. The start of the trail is still open and leads to a dispersed campsite before it is blocked by many…
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Total Miles
0.1
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Su

Pony Express Trail

The historic Pony Express Trail is one of the few domestic overland routes accessible to the public. This route follows as closely as possible to the original trail ridden over 160 years ago on horseback.Make…
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Total Miles
463.7
Tech Rating
3 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa

Wild Horse Trail

This route takes you from the outskirts of Dayton, Nevada to Clifton Flats. The trail head starts at the unlocked wild horse protection gate. Make sure to properly close and latch the gate. The trail…
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Total Miles
11.3
Tech Rating
3 Easy
Best Time
Su / Fa / Sp / Wi

Clifton Flat Trail

Clifton Flat is a valley known for herds of wild horses and herds of Pronghorn Antelope. The trailhead starts at the unlocked barbed wire wild horse protection gate. Make sure to properly close and latch…
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Total Miles
11
Tech Rating
3 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa / Wi

Copper Mountain

Climb along the side of the Sierra Nevada Mountains above Mono Lake on this beautiful SUV route. Check out views of the valley as well as Lundy Lake, and make time to visit an abandoned…
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Total Miles
7.7
Tech Rating
3 Easy
Best Time
Su

Soda Creek Logging Camp

From Hwy 4 side the all-day adventure was on ungraded logging roads. They still log here on these roads so please drive slow and be aware of logging trucks possibly coming at you. You will…
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Total Miles
17.3
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa